Page 20 of The Unbuttoned Ranger (Texas Heat: The Heart of a Texas Ranger #1)

Sharp stood outside of the dancers talking to his buddies that he ’ d grown up with. It wasn ’ t quite the same without Ely. He guessed it never would be. The pain of losing someone never went away.

He barely listened to Liam, Kiever, and Heath discussing potential issues with the infrastructure of the town’s aging water pipes.

Sharp on the other hand had his attention on CaDee who stood near the food table talking to Ursula.

CaDee looked amazing. He wanted to believe that what they shared earlier had something to do with the glow in her cheeks, but he also knew she was slowly finding herself again—the part lost in the relationship with her ex.

She seemed more confident, relaxed, and open to talking to all the townsfolk who were interested in meeting her.

He wasn ’ t sure if she knew that he was watching her, admiring her from a distance.

As much as he wanted to go up to her and wrap his arms around her, he had to respect her wish—to pretend they were only friends.

A part of him understood. She was a mother who needed to protect Carsen, but also, Sharp felt a bit…

what was a good word for it? Used. Nah. She wasn ’ t the type to use him.

“ What are your thoughts, Sharp?” Kiever asked.

“ Thoughts?” Sharp had missed the question.

“About the water pipes?”

“I’d have to do some research to give my honest opinion,” Sharp said.

“ Do you think we should make a veteran ’ s memorial at the park?” Liam asked. “Isn’t that important too?”

“If there ’ s a private donor, sure. I think the water lines should be the committee ’ s main concern first if they’re in bad shape.”

“ You ’ re a veteran, Sharp,” Liam scoffed. “ You don ’ t see the importance of memorializing our comrades who served and gave their lives?”

Sharp took a long swallow of his beer from the plastic cup, feeling disgruntled. “ Are you running for mayor?”

Liam ’ s eyes widened and he shook his head. “ I wouldn ’ t want that job.”

“ Then don ’ t get your panties in a bunch over things.” Then Sharp walked away. He never liked to hear anyone whine about so many goddamn things all at once.

He threaded through the dancers and was nearly to CaDee when Emily Maines grabbed his elbow and pressed close.

“ Hello, Cowboy. Long time no see,” she said with a friendly smile.

“ Hello, Emily.”

His high school girlfriend looked just as beautiful as ever. She’d changed her hair from blonde to brunette, and age had been good to her.

“ I heard you ’ d be here tonight.” Her smile widened, showing off a row of even, white teeth. In school she wore braces for five years so it was good to see they paid off.

“ I somehow got roped into coming.” He checked over his shoulder and he met CaDee ’ s gaze. She quickly turned away.

“I baked a pie,” she said, winking.

“You did? Congrats,” he replied, glancing around for CaDee who’d disappeared in the crowd.

“You’ll bid, right?” Emily asked.

He shook his head. “Bid? On what?”

“The pie. Haven’t you been to a barn dance lately?” She leaned on one hip.

“It’s been a while.”

“Each pie is auctioned off, and the winner gets both the pie and a date with the baker.” Her eyes sparkled as she squeezed his elbow.

“ I hate to disappoint but I doubt I ’ ll be participating.

” He searched the other section of the barn and that ’ s when he found CaDee talking to Gage Campbell.

He liked to show off the fact that he had more money than he knew what to do with.

Whatever they were discussing made her smile.

Sharp felt a tinge of jealousy. He ’ d never felt anything like it before and didn ’ t like it one bit.

“ You should rethink that. I made your favorite. Pecan. It ’ s still your favorite, right?

” Before he could answer dancers bumped into him.

He stepped out of their way. “ I hate to break up this chat, but this song is calling my name. Hope you ’ ll save me a dance, handsome.

” She smoothed the tip over her tongue over her top lip and she took off, filing into the line of dancers.

“ Someone still has a crush on you,” Ursula said. “ Something tells me she really wants you to eat her pie.”

“ Were you eavesdropping?” he accused his cousin.

“ Of course I was. How else do I find out anything about your life if I don ’ t observe? Just like I noticed a little exchange of heated glances between you and Fin ’ s Creek new resident.” She wagged her brows.

“ Don ’ t do that.”

“ Don ’ t do what?” she pleaded innocence.

“ Play matchmaker,” he groaned. He stepped over and poured himself another beer and Ursula stayed with him like Velcro.

“ Cuz, it looks like it ’ s all organic.” She laughed. “ I recognize the subtle glances. The expressions.”

“ She ’ s a single mom focused on her kid.” He downed half the beer. He had to tread carefully because Ursula had always been good at seeing straight through him.

“ Hogwash.” She snorted. “ Single moms deserve love and relationships as much as anyone. We ’ re not desolate with dried up lady parts.”

He wrinkled his nose. “ Don ’ t talk about that stuff with me.”

“ That ’ s why I used the words lady parts, to protect your delicate sensibilities.” she said stiffly. “ Now confess. Do you have a crush?”

“ Crushes are for kids.” He rolled his eyes. He looked around hoping to find someone who could save him from his cousin ’ s interrogation and that was when he saw a long table laden with pies. He strolled over. His Velcro-buddy stayed near him.

“ Are you looking for a particular one?” she said in a melodic voice.

“ Just looking.”

Ursula cleared her throat to get his attention. She pointed at one pie in particular. “ Here is CaDee ’ s. Just sayin ’ .”

“ Did you have something to do with her making a pie?”

“ Maybe. I ’ ll never tell.”

“ Does she even have a clue that she ’ s being auctioned off for a date?”

“ Maybe. Maybe not.” Ursula flipped the ends of her long hair over one shoulder. “ I think it ’ s best you win that pie.”

“ I ’ m not her type.”

“ Honey, tall dark and handsome is every woman ’ s type unless she roots for the opposing team.” She winked. “ I don ’ t know a lot, but I saw the way CaDee checked you out when you weren ’ t looking, until Emily caught you in her snares.”

“ Lay off Emily. This is no longer high school.”

“ That ’ s where you ’ re wrong. It ’ s always high school in a small town.” She pretended to admire several other pies. “ What ’ s so wrong about testing the waters and see if things stay afloat?”

“ This is something we shouldn ’ t be discussing.”

“ Bradley told me you ’ ll be staying in Fin ’ s Creek. From the conversations that I ’ ve had with CaDee she seems to want to stay too.”

“ Back off a little. You ’ re going to scare CaDee.”

She sighed. “ I guess I have dreams for you to fall madly in love and have kids. And I like CaDee. She ’ s exactly what a man like you needs.”

He narrowed his gaze. “ A man like me? You mean one with an interfering cousin?”

“ Cute. I mean all rough and tumble who just needs for the right woman to come along and pluck away the feathers to get to the meat.”

“ I ’ m not a rooster, Ursula,” he groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

“ See, you ’ re not the only one who sees the potential.” She jutted her chin.

Sharp scanned the dance floor and saw CaDee had joined Gage for a line dance.

Obviously, she had no idea what the moves were to the dance, but Gage was being quite the gentleman and showing her how to step to the right, left, and then turn.

His hands were on her waist just in case she somehow couldn ’ t manage.

“ Gage certainly can move, can ’ t he? Mm-hmm. You snooze you lose, Sharp.”

“ Ursula, can I ask you something?” When she nodded, he said, “ Why are you still a brat? Isn ’ t there a cutoff point?”

“ I wouldn ’ t know. Must be in our genes, brat.”